Families to save up to $6400 per year in sweeping kindy changes
Queensland families will pay less for kindergarten as the state government increases its annual investment from $130 million to $211 million over the next five years.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk billed the package as āthe largest investment in kindergartenā in the stateās history when making the announcement on Wednesday.
āThe cost of kindy is a huge barrier for many children and a great burden for many working families across our state,ā Palaszczuk told parliament.
āI want to break down those barriers and give every child a chance to achieve their dreams.ā
The package includes $33 million to expand the Kindy Uplift program from 400 to 930 services, $38.5 million to help attract staff to regional Queensland, and $95 million to support children with a disability.
It will mean 40,000 children will be able to access affordable or free care āregardless of whether they attend a community kindergarten or kindy in a long day careā, Education Minister Grace Grace said.
āāThat means a family with one child in kindy could save up to $3200 per year. And a family with two children in kindy could save up to $6400.ā
The increase in Kindy Uplift funding means services can invest in āpersonalised programsā such as a dedicated support worker or staff development.
Independent Schools Queensland CEO Chris Mountford was pleased to see the focus on regional kindergartens and disability support.
āAll children deserve a quality education regardless of their age, location or personal situation, and to see $95 million of this funding being used to support families with kindergarten children who have a disability is particularly encouraging,ā he said.
Stay informed, daily
The announcement was also welcomed by early childhood education not-for-profit organisation Lady Gowrie Queensland.
āNot only will families and children from across the state reap the benefits, the funding reforms also help support the capability and viability of our workforce to deliver quality kindergarten for all children,ā CEO Louise Jackson said.
The reform is due to kick in from 2023.
Want to see more stories from InDaily Qld in your Google search results?
- Click here to set InDaily Qld as a preferred source.
- Tick the box next to "InDaily Qld". That's it.
